Pencil



W. IVI. SAUNDERS.

PENCIL.

APPLICATION man ocT. 16. 1919.

' l l wva'wboz 4 WMSaunders his @Moz/we Patented J an. 20, 1920.

WILLIAM M. SAUNDERS, OF WATERBURY', CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE HGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

PENCIL.

asses.

Specification ofletters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.,k

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. SAUN- mans, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, county of New Haven2 State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pencils, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in pencils and has for its object to produce a lead propelling pencil which is simple in construction and yet eiicient in operation. It further has for its object a provide a pencil having a lead propellin means in which the follower when it reac es the end ofits throw will not injure other parts or be injured itself by a further movement of revolution of the actuating means. It further has for its object to provide a pencil whose follower is not liable to bind on the barrel. It further has for its object to provide a pencil having a magazine member forming a part of the propelling mechanism which is held permanently in position with-v out having the holding means or its location apparent from the outside. It further has for its object to rovide a yieldin lead holder beyond the tip of the lead carrier.

One feature of my invention is the helical spring and means for holding it against rotation under normal conditions.. Another feature is the construction whereby exces-l sive movement of the follower unlocks the spring so that it is free to rotate. Another feature is in having the spring spaced from the side wall of the barrel and adjacent to the carrier-tube so that the follower is not liable to bind on the barrel. Another feature is the means for frictionally holding the carrier andI rotatable connected arts fixed in place within the barrel by invisible means.

Another feature is the spiral spring tip for the lead carrier. j

The following is a description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fi re 1 shows a longitudinal section of a pencil embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 shows on an enlarged scale a portion of the same with the upper end of the spring retracted from its ratchet tooth by a continued rotary movement of the followertube after lthe follower has reached its-upper position;

.Fig 3 shows on an enlarged scale the yielding lead guiding means of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a side and lower end view'of the lead and follower carrier tube complete;

Fig. 5 shows end and side views of.the anchorage member or upper bushing;

Fig. 6 shows in section and plan view a retaining ring;

Fig. shows in side and end elevation the tubu ar portion of the revolving plug Fig. 8 shows in end and side elevation the cap of the plug; and

Fig. 9 showsin plan and side elevation a second stationary anchorage member.

Referring more articularly to the drawings, l is a pencil barrel tapered at its upper or point end (Fig. l) and containing, adjacent to said tapered end, a tightly fitting bushing 2 through which projects the end of a revoluble tubular carrier 3, which end is thereby held in line with the opening in the point or tapered end through which the lead 4 is introduced and expelled. Above the u er extremity of the carrier 3 is loosely he d) a double cone-shaped, easily yielding, helical spring 5 so as to provide a yielding lead-guiding means, the central helix of which grips the lead slightl so as to prevent its freely slipping out o the pencil. The upper conical end of this spring forms 'a conical guidefor the end of the lead as it is inserted through the opening in the small end of the tapered portion. 7 is a stationary rin shaped anchorage tightly fitting the interior of the bore of the barrel 1 so that when forced therein it will be held in position by friction, in the same manner as is the portion 2. Between the anchorages 2 and 7 is a helical spring 8 whose krespective ends bear with a slight ldegree of pressure against the opposing faces of the members 2 and 7 which are provided respectively with recesses 9 and 10 having oppositely facing abrupt shoulders forming ratchet teeth or abutments adapted to be respectively engaged by the pawllike ends of the wire forming the spring to prevent the spring from turning when both anchorage members are engaged thereby. The follower-carrier 3 passes through the spring 8. The body portion 1l of'thecarrier contains a follower 12 having its 'lower 'rel l it is tree to rotate therein.

end 13 formed with a lateral projectiom.

y. rier 3 to turn easily therein. With this construction the follower extension '13 can be made so short as to clear the interior of the barrel 1- by a considerable amount. Conlnected to the lower end of the followercarrier, preferably by solder, is a head 16 having braaed thereto a shell 17, these two parts constituting a plug of such size that while closely tting the interior of the bar- 'llhe shell 17 extends beyond the barrel 1 and is provided with a cap 18 which fits thereon, the

shell being provided with a slit 19, in which an internal projection 20 upon the cap ts so as to prevent relative rotary movement between the cap and the plug. This plug being hollow and the cap being removable, a receptacle is thus provided for sterili@w extra leads. 'lhe plug is provided wit an annular groove 21, Iormed in the shell 17, in which lits a ring- 22, the ring 22 being of such size as to turn easily in the groove 2l and yet to so lit the bore of the barrel l as to be lirmly held therein by friction so as to be practically unremovable therefrom. rlhis ring is cut at one side so that it can be passed over' the end of the tubular member 17 into the groove 21 before the plug is inserted within the barrel. After the ring 22 has' been positioned in the groove 21 the plug and ring are forced into the barrel l by a suitable tool in assembling the pencil.

` ln assembling the pencil as a whole, the spring 5 is irst dropped in place, the bushing 2 is then forced into position in the barrel Where it is held by friction against the barrel. The other parts to be contained within the barrel are then assembled outside the barrel in the relations shown in Illig. 1 and all inserted into the `barrel at Leaaaoo the follower to move in one direction or the other and to propel the lead outwardly or to permit the lead to be Vshoved in. 1n order that the follower after it has reached the limit of its movement in either 'direction may not be injured itself or injure other parts of the pencil by the continued movement of the positively connectedcap 18, the spring 8, while stid, is made sufficiently resilient so that it can be compressed somewhat by the follower when at its limit of axial movement without injury to any part. rllms, while the follower is approaching its uppermost position, the spring is held rom turning by the pawl-lilre engagement of its upper end with the recess 9. li, when the follower has reached its uppermost position, `there is a further turning movementin the same direction the spring is compressed by the follower so that its pavvl-lilre upper end is withdrawn from the recess 9, as in liig. 2, whereupon the spring, as a whole, is free to turn with the carrier 3 and cap 18 and does turn without injury. ln a similar way, when 'the follower reaches its lowermost position, e". e., engages the bushing 7, it acts upon the lower end of the spring to withdraw it from the recess 10, whereupon the spring is free to turn without injury if the cap 1d is further turned inthe same direction. When the rotary movement of the follower is reversed after reaching its lowermost position, the projection 13 passes above the lower end of the spring, which has in the meantime entered lthe recess 10 so as to lie within the dat surface of the bushing T. This simple means of securing in position .the spring, without binding lateral engagement with any element of the pencil, constitutes an important feature of my invention and provides a positive and durable safety feature.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art,.n1y invention permits of various modiications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of. the appended claims.

What l claim is:

1. ln a pencil, the combination ot a barrel, a follower-carrier rotatably mounted therein, a follower for said carrier, a helical sprin surrounding said carrier and rotatable re atively to said carrier and barrel, said follower' engaging said spring, and fixed means within said barrel normally engaged by the ends of said spring so as to hold said spring from turning, said ends being movable by said follower axially of said pencil relatively to said fixed mea-ns so as to disengage the same.

2. In a pencil, the combination of a barrel, a follower-carrier therein, anchorage members fixedI within said barreland spaced apart along said carrier, a helical spring surrounding said carrier between said anchorage members and rotatable relatively to said carrier and barrel, said members having abutment faces normally engaging the ends of said spring and holding it from turning, means connected with said carrier for revolving the same within said barrel, and a follower within said carrier having a portion engaging said helical spring, the ends of said spring being movable by said follower axially of said pencil relatively to said abutment faces so as to disengage the same.

3. In a pencil, the combination of a barrel. a follower-carrier therein, anchorage members fitting closely within said barrel and spaced apart alongl said carrier, said members having recesses providin stop fares, a spring surrounding said carrier and having its ends normally engaging said stop faces, and means connected with said carrier for revolvin thc saine within said barrel, 'said spring eing spaced away from said bari-el and closely adjacent to said carrier.

4. In a pencil, the combination of a barrel having a tapered end, a follower-carrier therein, anchorage members fixed within said barrel and spaced apart along said carrier, a helical spring surrounding said carrier between said anchorage members and rotatable relatively to said carrier and barrel, said members having abutment faces 'normally engaged by theends of said spring so as to hold it from turningLmeans connected with said carrier for revolving the carrier within said barrel, and a follower within said carrier having a portion engaging said helical spring, the anchorage member nearest to the tapered end of said barrel acting to aline said carrier, the ends of said spring being movable by said follower axially of said pencil relatively to said abutment faces so as to disengage the same.

5. In a pencil, the combination of a bari'el having a tapered end, a helical surface within said barrel, a'slotted follower-carrier tube located axiall within said barrel, a follower within sai tube and having a projection engaging said helical surface, a rotatable plug secured to said tube and having an annular recess. and a rin within said recess and in fixed frictiona engagement with the interior of said barrel remote from said tapered end, the inner surface of said barrel engaged by said ring being 'cylin-` drical, and means for centering within said barrel the end of said carrier tube remote from said plug.

6. Ina pencil, the combination of a barrel having a tapered end, a helical surface within said barrel, a slotted follower-carrier tube located axially within said barrel, a follower within said tube having a projection engaging said helical surface, a rota. table plug secured to said tube, lmeans for holding said plug against longitudinal movement in said barrel, means for centering within said barrel the end of Said carrier-tube remote from said plug, and a spring member adjacent to said remote end for holding and guiding the lead, said spring member being engaged by said follower-carrier and held in` position thereby.

WILLIAM M. SAUNDERS. 

